Robert William Bennett – buried at Andersonville

Henry Innes Bennett was a patriot and a believer in the Union cause. So when a call for more troops was made in 1862, Henry was ready. To his disappointment, he had a bad heart and was not able to enlist.  But he could serve in other ways. At a recruitment rally in Mechanicsburg, Indiana, he gave a rousing speech that inspired many young men to sign up. At the front of the line was Henry’s 18 year-old-son, Robert William Bennett.  

Robert was enrolled in the 72nd Indiana Infantry, Company D. The 72nd Brigade fought in battles in Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi.  During one foray, Robert, ill with malaria, collapsed in front of a fine southern mansion. The owners took him in, put him in one of their bedrooms and began to nurse him back to health. But General Beauregard, hearing of a Yankee in the neighborhood, sent troops to arrest him and take him to Andersonville Prison. There Robert met another soldier from the 72nd, Henry Nobes from Frankfort, Indiana. Nobes was suffering from an untreated broken leg. Robert tore up strips from his clothing and bound the leg then buried it in sand to stabilize it. Nobes was  often delirious and after wolfing down his own ration of wormy corn he would demand more. Robert shared his meager portion with him and slowly starved to death. 

Nobes survived. He took the small Bible from Robert’s pocket and when the camp was liberated, he delivered it to Robert’s parents. Every April 26, the anniversary of the end of the Civil War, he would visit the aging parents and spend the day with them.  Walking with only a slight limp now, he came every year until 1900 when Henry Innes Bennett died.  

Civil War records show that Robert died of ‘scorbutus’ or scurvy. He was two months shy of his 20th birthday.  He is one of the 13,000 Union prisoners buried at Andersonville. Henry Nobes lived until 1935 and died at the age of 91. 

There is a postscript. The Bennetts’ often said they wished there was a way to thank the people that had cared for Robert during his bout with malaria. Henry Innes Bennett subscribed to numerous newspapers and would occasionally write articles and submit them to the papers. One day he received a letter from a lady in Mississippi saying she had seen his name and hometown, Reese’s Mill. “We could die happier, for we are old now, if we could know what became of Robert – we feel sure Reeces Mills, Indiana, was where he lived, and mentioned in delirium. And you must be his father,” she wrote. They exchanged letters for the rest of their lives. 

These stories were recorded by Elsie Bennett Essex, granddaughter of Henry Innes Bennett. She was born in 1885 and could remember Henry Nobes’ visits and the Mississippi letters. She died in 1981. Her memories are recorded in Boone – Your County Magazine, June 1977.

Connection: Robert William Bennett was the first cousin of the wife of James Harvey Dale, my first cousin 4x removed.

Indiana Rural Youth

As early as 1933 rural Indiana counties saw a need for social and educational clubs for young people in their communities. These older youth had been active in school and 4-H clubs but after graduation they found social opportunities lacking. Purdue University in its role as a land-grant university accepted organizational responsibilities for a state-wide system of clubs. In 1938 the Indiana Farm Bureau offered to cooperate and became a co-sponsor. Indiana Rural Youth was born. 

The clubs were organized on the county level and at one time there were Rural Youth clubs in each of Indiana’s 92 counties. Members were rural, single young adults from 18-28 years of age. Though the social aspect was strong, the organization also worked to develop leadership skills, provide community service and offer educational opportunities. Meetings often consisted of a business meeting, an educational presentation, panel discussion or debate. A recreational period followed. And of course, refreshments or pitch-in dinner. 

Rural Youth Square Dancing,
Boone County, IN from Indianapolis Star, 17 Jul, 1950 p. 6

Rural Youth sponsored sports leagues, bowling clubs, and choirs. Members enjoyed trips to museums, state parks, and state and national conventions. Square dancing was a big part of the social and recreational program. In 1938 about the only square dancing in the area was at Rural Youth meetings. In 1950 the Indianapolis Star reported that there were 20 square dances a week in Boone County where just a few years ago there was about one a month. The reporter attributed the increase to Rural Youth members teaching classes to children and adults as well as at social gatherings.

Service projects included educational services, such as coaching sports teams, teaching classes in agriculture or homemaking at local schools, visiting nursing homes, providing entertainment at Farm Bureau meetings, working at county or state fairs, or providing sports equipment to schools or Army camps.

Educational opportunities listed by various clubs include presentations on nutrition and career opportunities in food industries, farm safety, government involvement, studies of current events and Indiana history. 

The need for clubs like Rural Youth was evidently great – by 1940 Indiana Rural Youth had over 10,000 members. Attendance decreased during WWII but with the return of servicemen and women interest increased again.

Randy Iron, former president of Indiana Farm Bureau said, “I’ve always said that Indiana Rural Youth was FarmersOnly.com (online dating site for farming communities) before its time or before we had the internet. My mom and dad met through Indiana Rural Youth. My sister and brother-in-law did. It’s a great organization. There’s a social aspect but also leadership development. It’s a very important part of our history.” – Randy Iron, 20 Jan 2020

As the demographics of the state changed, so did Rural Youth. In 1958 the program expanded to become Indiana Rural Youth/Young Adults to include young people who had moved from farms to towns and cities for work. Continued improvements in transportation and technology soon meant that there were fewer differences between rural and urban communities and in 1990 Indiana Rural Youth came to a close.

Lois Acton and Carl Horlacher at a rural Youth meeting about 1950.

Connections: My parents, Carl and Lois Horlacher, met through Rural Youth. My dad played Rural Youth basketball and they both were part of a square dance group that competed across the state.  My dad was “recognized as one of the six expert callers in the county and was Rural Youth recreational leader of a nine-county district.” — Indianapolis Star, 17 Jul, 1950 p. 6.